


third chances

by Kittenixie



Series: addition [3]
Category: Deltarune (Video Game), Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Siblings, Anxiety, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Self-Doubt, Self-Hatred, Swearing, a few dark themes, boss monster Chara, im so tired i don't want to tag a bunch of things, mainly just mentions of the geno route etc, sometimes you just need a pep talk from a buff lizard gal to feel okay with yourself again
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-14
Updated: 2018-12-14
Packaged: 2019-09-18 00:56:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16985073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kittenixie/pseuds/Kittenixie
Summary: Chara has a lot of baggage to unpack and a lot of awful things to unlearn, but lucky for them, they now have a solid support system to catch them when they stumble.Sometimes that's all you need.





	third chances

**Author's Note:**

> [i have a deltarune/undertale discord server! feel free to join that here.](https://kittenixie.tumblr.com/post/179840597289/hi-i-made-a-deltaruneundertale-server-were) if you really like my fics that much you can get small snippets while i'm writing and some art.

“We did it, didn't we? We’re out. Everyone is free.”

The kid next to them nodded quietly, seeming to enjoy the sun on their face. “Beautiful day, too,” they said softly. The monster beside them barked out a laugh.

“You did good, kiddo. Better than I did.” They weren't much younger, but that really wouldn't stop them.

“Don't say that. You helped, you know.”

“Not enough to warrant a full pardon.”

The one beside them let out a hum of displeasure. “You were scared and hurting. If you're guilty for what happened, so am I. You never forced me to do anything.”

The monster hummed, looking up at the sky. “...You should catch up with her.”

“I know.”

“I can't go with you.”

“...I know,” they sighed, turning to face the monster. “I'll… I'll visit, okay? You don't have to be alone anymore.”

“You don't have to.”

“Well, I want to.” The shorter human wrapped the monster up in a hug, smiling. “You're my friend. I wouldn't leave you behind.”

“Thank you, -----.” The monster paused. “...-----?” All that came out of their mouth was a burst of static. “-----?”

The human was gone. The world started to peel around them, turning into a place all too familiar. Golden with huge pillars to the sides of the long hallway. Light streamed in from the windows.

“-----?! -----, where are you?” They cried, stepping back. Their tail lashed behind them in terror. “----- please! Don't leave me! I-I…”  _ I remember your name! Why can't I say your name? _ Dust filled the air from their trembling, falling from their dusty paws. “No, no, no, please--”

Bones pierced their chest. Everything went black.

 

* * *

 

 

“Chara? Hey.”

Chara woke with a start, eyes brimming with tears. They shot upright, trying to push back their fight or flight. Kris had climbed the ladder to their bed, one hand on their shoulder, concern clear on their face.

“You were dreaming again.”

“Oh, uh… Sorry.” They shifted to the side to let Kris up, which they seemed to appreciate, pulling themself up onto the mattress and sitting criss-cross. They'd been here for a few days now, getting used to their family. They hadn't been to school yet-- they'd faked being sick. They wanted to get used to things before, well. Talking to  _ that one _ . Just in case. Things were good for the most part, other than the nightmares that plagued them most nights.

“It's fine. Don't worry about it. About time we woke up, anyways.”

“It’s the weekend.”

“Oh well. I'm not mad, Chara.” The boss monster let themself relax, letting out a sigh of relief.

“Alright.” They shifted slightly. “Before you ask, no, I don't want to talk about it.”

“Right.” They paused. “Hey, why don't you go wash up, then we can go out and do something.”

“Have anything in mind?” Chara asked, climbing down the ladder.

“It's a surprise,” they replied simply, climbing down after them. Chara blinked, then shrugged, heading to the bathroom.

They leaned against the door, rubbing their forehead. “...Frisk,” they tried the name on their tongue. “Frisk,” they affirmed, breathing out a sigh of relief. It was just their dreams being weird. They wouldn't forget their friend. They couldn't.

“I won't forget.”

 

* * *

 

 

Chara washed off, dried off, and got back to Kris. The human was on their phone, seemingly texting someone. “I'm here,” Chara interrupted, head tilted. There were few people Kris texted on a regular. They turned their attention to the boss monster, finishing what they were doing and putting their phone away.

“Okay. Let's go.”

“Where?”

“...On one condition. Don't ask questions yet.” Well, that was ominous. Chara grumbled quietly, then nodded, arms crossed. Kris smiled softly, then headed out the door with them in tow. They texted along the way, though they wouldn't let Chara get a peek. They huffed quietly, giving up.

Their confusion only increased when they found themself at the school. “Why the hell are we here?” They questioned, gesturing to the building. Kris gave them a look that they could only read as amusement.

“No questions, remember?” Kris replied. Chara groaned, tugging their ears softly. It was a habit. “Okay. Now, you need to  _ promise _ you aren't about to run off.”

“...I feel like you're about to serial murder me or somethin’, Kris,” they said, raising a brow. “Like, this feels like you're about to take me to a back alley. Would prefer if you didn't.”

“Chara.  _ Promise _ .”

The boss monster let out an over dramatic sigh. “Fine, fine. I  _ promise _ , you big baby.” Kris smiled, then moved to the door, swinging it open. Not locked? “How have they not gotten robbed?” Chara questioned, head tilted. Kris gave them an odd look.

“Well, they lock it at night,” they replied, walking in. “And on weekends, usually. But anyways, nobody here would rob the school. It's not like this is a big town. And finally, Undyne would decimate a thief given half a chance.”

Right. This wasn't like their surface world. They were still trying to unlearn that. Chara only nodded, crossing their arms.

Kris lead the way through the halls, clearly knowing how to navigate. Not that it was a huge school. They stopped near a supply closet, and--

Chara deftly stepped behind Kris, using the human as a meat shield.

“Sup, Kris.” Susie was here. She was a huge lizard monster, at least six foot, probably. They weren't scared of her, definitely not. More scared of… of what they'd do if they had another bad experience with her.  _ I almost stabbed her _ . Her sharp teeth and claws were definitely intimidating, but in the end, they just weren't afraid of monsters.

“Hey, Susie,” Kris replied easily, not seeming bothered by their hiding. “You two haven't really met yet, so. Susie, Chara, Chara, Susie.” The lizard monster eyed them silently for a moment, then stepped forward. She let out a heavy sigh, then offered a clawed hand.

“Yeah, hi. Sorry for threatening you or whatever.” Chara narrowed their eyes, contemplating her hand for a moment before carefully stepping out from their place behind Kris and shaking it.

“No big deal. Sorry for nearly stabbing you, I guess.” They shrugged, trying to let themself relax. She shrugged back, uncaring.

“‘S fine. You didn't, so whatever. Doesn't matter.” Well, that was because of Kris, but said human didn't say anything, so neither did they. It was probably for the best.

“So why are we here again?” They asked, gesturing to the closet. Susie gave Kris an odd look.

“You didn't tell them?”

“Uh. No.” They fiddled with their sleeves. “All things considered, I figured it'd be easier to show rather than tell.”

Susie shrugged. “If you're sure.” Chara was starting to get irritated with all of the secrets business, tail lashing. Before they could complain, Kris opened the door. The dark inside was almost unreal, dark enough to give Chara bad memories.

They fidgeted nervously, blinking twice. Just a supply closet. It was just a supply closet. They had to keep calm. Luckily, neither teen seemed to notice their lapse of attention. The two had stepped in, and Chara braced themself before following them in.

The door slammed shut behind them, and before they could even question it, the floor dropped, sending them into a free fall into the abyss.

 

* * *

 

 

Chara awoke in a dark void, which was nearly enough to get them sent into a panic. Luckily, on closer inspection, there was a definite ground with texture and color. They relaxed slightly, rubbed their head, and got up. “Kris? Susie?” They called, trying to push off their nerves. When no answer came, they started to walk, ears twitching nervously.

“Kris? Susie?” They called again, louder this time. Still no reply. Their tail lashed uneasily, and they looked around, shuddering. They heard a quiet chuckle, and they quickly span to face it, fur bristling out. 

“Who's there?” They cried, tail lashing agitatedly. They heard the chuckle again, which then grew into a full laugh, sending shivers down their spine. They span again, brandishing their claws. They saw the culprit now, and immediately froze in place, paws glued to the ground.

The laughter was coming from a kid, maybe early teens, with red-brown hair, freckles, and red eyes. They wore a green and yellow sweater, brown pants, and boots. Easily recognizable, easily hated. Dust stained their clothes and hands, one of which clutched a knife. Chara's paws shook, eyes unfocused.

“Greetings. I am Chara. The demon that comes when people call its name.”

“I'm not,” they growled, tail lashing. “I'm not, I'm not, I'm  _ not! _ ”

“Thank you. Your power awakened me from death. My ‘human soul’, my ‘determination’. They were not mine, but  _ yours _ .” They weren't speaking to the boss monster, staring through them as if they weren't there.

“Stop it! Stop it! I didn't do this!” Chara hissed, shaking. Was it fear? Was it anger? They weren't sure. 

“At first, I was so confused. Our plan had failed, hadn't it? Why was I brought back to life?”

“This isn't… isn't…”

“Let us erase this pointless world and move on to the next.”

“No!” Chara screeched, throwing themself at their human counterpart and sinking their claws into their chest. “I won't! I didn't do this! They saved me!” Perhaps in another universe, they had gone this far. It was their intent, after all. “I'll never be like you. I'll never go there again. I never want to be a demon!”

They paused, raising their head to glare up at someone else. A tall man in a black cloak and an obscured face watched them, studying them. Seeing what they would do. Chara let go of the human, standing and glaring at the creature defiantly.

“Chara.”

They blinked. “Kris?”

 

* * *

 

 

They woke up. Kris stood over them, brows furrowed. “Are you okay? You must've gotten knocked out on the way down.” Chara rubbed their head, pushing themself up.

“I'm… I'm good. Where's Susie?”

“Up ahead. We have a typical meeting point, unless she backtracks to find us,” they explained. Chara nodded, actually looking at Kris for the first time since they fell.

“...Dude. What the fuck are you wearing."

“Well, what the heck are  _ you _ wearing?” They retorted easily. Chara blinked, looking down at themself. Their fur had turned black, and they were now wearing a dark cloak. They looked more or less shapeless. It was odd.

“...Okay. Fair.” They glanced around, brows furrowed. “...Uh… Let's catch up to Susie, I guess.”

Kris was glad to lead the way, easily navigating the odd place. Chara walked beside them, trying to map the place out in their head. They came to a steep slope, Kris had obviously been here a few times, they didn't even hesitate to slide down. Chara gulped, following them down. They both landed at the bottom, then kept walking. “Am I allowed to ask questions now?”

“Shoot,” Kris replied simply.

“Where the fuck are we?”

“The dark world,” they said without pause. “Susie should be just ahead.” So much for their questions. As Kris said, Susie soon came into view, tapping her foot on the ground impatiently.

“Took you long enough,” she huffed. Kris shrugged, then kept walking, taking the lead. Chara would've taken up the back, but Susie took that spot before they could, sticking them in the middle. Great. Still, they kept moving, not complaining.

 

* * *

 

 

It was a short walk to what Kris and Susie referred to as ‘Ralsei’s place’. Chara had been spacing out a bit, tuning out of walking and instead just thinking. Was this place real? Or something magic? Did it matter?

Kris knocked twice on the door before Susie just pushed past them and opened it. Kris huffed, but walked in behind her, Chara falling to the back of the line. Soon enough, they all stopped. “Hey, Ralsei!” Kris greeted cheerfully.

“Hey, nerd,” Susie said, though Chara could easily tell that she was pleased to see whoever this Ralsei was. The question was soon answered for them. A monster in a green cloak and hat sat on the floor, quickly standing when he saw them come in.

“Hi guys!” He replied with a big smile, gaze going across Kris and Susie and landing on Chara. He gave them a confused stare, which they refused to really react to.

“Ralsei, this is Chara. They're my sibling,” Kris explained. Ralsei’s eyes lit up, and he moved to Chara, offering a paw. Chara eyed it, then shook it softly. This was bizarre.

“It's so nice to meet you, Chara! You never told me you had a sibling, Kris,” He commented, glancing at the human. They shrugged.

“Never came up,” Kris said. Ah, keeping it a secret. Probably for the best. Ralsei let go of their paw, and they gladly took it back.

“What's the plan for today?” Susie questioned, stretching.

“I was thinking we'd just show Chara around, if it's all the same to you two,” Kris replied. Susie shrugged, and Ralsei nodded happily. “Does that sound alright to you, Chara?” They were only half-listening, but they nodded anyways. This was surreal.

They started walking again, and Chara started spacing again. They gave themself a light pinch on the arm. Nope, not dreaming. They sighed softly, keeping up with the rest of the party.

 

* * *

 

 

They walked around, seeing the sights as everyone else explained them and the Darkners and Lightners and the prophecy and the adventure. Mostly Ralsei and Kris, Susie didn't talk much. She might've even been tuning it out. Chara wasn’t sure. Ralsei also informed them about acting, and though they already knew how, they didn't interrupt.

For the most part, they were able to sneak around monst--  _ Darkners _ , which was nice. They hadn't actually battled in a long enough time to where they were probably rusty. They had a brief thought that they could ask to spar with Kris, but they quickly shook their head. Humans were much too fragile for that. They wouldn't want to hurt them on accident.

Still, eventually they had to fight. A misstep from Kris was all it took to get into a battle. So they all took their positions, getting out weapons that they likely wouldn't use and getting ready to start dodging. Surprisingly, Chara found that they were able to dodge fairly well despite being out of practice. Maybe that was a skill that never really went away.

Still, nothing was perfect. They all had to mess up sometimes, and the first one to do so was Chara. A diamond scraped their side, knocking them back a bit. And maybe they hadn't retained all of their skills after all, as it took them a moment to recover, which only gave the enemy Rudinn another hit-- head-on this time.

They were hardly used to being hurt anymore. Their time in the void had made sure of that. It was an alien feeling to them now, after ghosting along for so many years. More alien was the feeling of something inside them burning, slowly at first, and slowly ramping up. They heard Kris calling orders, but couldn't really hear what they were saying. There was a pause, and the others looked at them. Had Kris been calling on them to do something?

Their fur bristled, and their body moved on its own. They practically tackled the Rudinn, tail lashing, a black goop dripping from their open maw. Still, they couldn't really tell what was going on, and the struggle to regain control before something else happened was on. And they were losing. They raised a clawed paw, low growl rising in their mouth, vision flickering in and out.

And just like that, they were swiftly tugged off of the Rudinn, pulled into the air. Instinctively, they flailed and snapped at their captor, hissing, but they couldn't get purchase. The flame in their chest was slowly extinguished, control regained. They trembled, ceasing in their struggle, and quickly tuned into the voices around them.

“...them down, you're gonna freak them out more!” Kris scolded.

“Not until I'm sure they're not about to rip someone's face off.” That was Susie. Much closer to them than would be comfortable. In fact, they were just becoming aware that she was the one who was restraining them. Part of them wanted to be mad, but it was fair.

“Do you think they're okay? Has anything like this happened before, Kris?” Ralsei asked worriedly.

“No, but they also haven't been in a fight before. That wasn't like them,” Kris replied, just as concerned.

“Hey,” Susie grunted, clearly irritated. “Are you done.”

It took them a moment to realize Susie was talking to them. “...Y-yeah,” they replied weakly. “Yeah, I'm good.” Susie dropped them rather unceremoniously, and they stumbled slightly, but Kris and Ralsei quickly steadied them. They took a moment to wipe their face, coughing out the last of the goop.

“Chara, what  _ was _ that? I've never seen you act like that,” Kris commented. Angry. They must be angry with Chara. How could they not be?

“Are you okay, Chara? Are you sick?” Ralsei questioned. He must be making fun of them. He had to be. Susie wasn't even saying anything. Slowly but surely, they started to space out again, voices becoming fuzzy and unclear. It was all the same to them, hate, disgust, fear, they didn't need it to be distinct to know.

Chara turned tail and sprinted away as fast as they could.

 

* * *

 

They ended up in a forest, back pressed against a tree and face in their paws. What was wrong with them? Why did they lose control like that?

“What  _ isn't _ wrong with me, more like,” they muttered, wiping their face. They just really couldn't do anything right. And now they'd run off and Kris and Susie and Ralsei would have to waste time tracking them down. And for what? Because they had a panic attack? Please. They brought their knees up to their chest, curled their tail around themself, and sighed. So much for acting like a big sibling.

Kris couldn't control their stupid impulses like Frisk could. 

“Frisk,” they mumbled, ensuring that this was no dream. Funny how just saying their name helped Chara ground themself. “Man. You'd be disappointed, huh.” No answer came, of course. They let out a soft sigh. Kris was nice, but nobody could ever replace Frisk, no matter how hard they tried.

Their ears raised slightly at the sound of heavy footsteps, and they looked up to see Susie. Just her. She fixed Chara with a silent stare for a moment or two, then quietly sat next to them. “Hey.”

“...You're not… scared? Or mad?”

“Nah,” she replied simply, settling down. “Why would I be.”

“I almost hurt that Rudinn.”

Susie barked out a laugh. “Almost, huh? Yeah, no. I've done worse than that and I'm not a hypocrite.” She met Chara's curious gaze, then sighed dramatically. “Hurt a lot of them when I got here. Nobody died, but that's still worse than you,” she said with a snort. “Kris and Ralsei had to actively warn them that I'd fight.”

They'd done worse than that, though. They'd certainly done worse than that. Susie glanced at them curiously as they sighed, rubbing their face. “You alright?”

“Yeah, just… I've done a lot… worse than that.”

“Would you do it again?”

“What?”

“You heard me just fine,” she replied with a snort. “ _ Would you do it again _ .”

Chara paused, rubbing their face again. “...Not intentionally,” they said softly. Susie shrugged.

“Then frankly, I don't really care. Kris trusts you and I'm inclined to trust their judgement on some things.” She paused, looking up at the trees. “Whatever you did in your old world, consider this a second chance.” Chara's eyes sparked, and they gave a weak smile.

“...Thanks.” Susie just grunted. “Not that I don't enjoy your company, but why's it only you?”

“We split up searching for you.”

“Should we meet them anywhere?”

“Well, the thing is, we didn't pick a meetup spot. I guess we should go looking for them.” Susie stood, offering a hand. Chara took it without hesitation this time. Off they went to find their friends.

 

* * *

 

 

Chara was worn out.

Between their adventure through the Dark World, all the socialization, and the emotional stress, they were exhausted. But a good sort of exhaustion. They were happy.

After they'd tracked down Kris and Ralsei, Chara had roughly explained the situation. Lucky for them, both of them understood panic attacks. It meant for less explaining. They'd finished their tour of the Dark World, met a little kid named Lancer, and generally had fun.

They peeked under their bunk, blinking at Kris. Already asleep. Good. They flopped into bed, buried themself in the covers, and closed their eyes.

This was their second... well, third chance.

They refused to mess it up.

**Author's Note:**

> i'll be honest! this one was less fun to write and i have no idea why, but it had to get done so things like introductions between chara, susie, and ralsei would be out of the way, plus chara just knowing about the dark world in general and some backstory
> 
> next one should be more fun! we're bringing back an old character who i missed writing a lot!
> 
> totally taking questions in the comments if there are any uwu


End file.
